Birds of a Feather…
. . . you don’t need me to finish it for you. This saying’s been around since the 16th century. Birds and animals of all sorts ‘flock together’ with ‘their kind’. It’s part of our comfort and sometimes, our safety. There’s power in numbers . . . ‘good guys’ do better against the ‘bad guys’ when they stick together. It’s natural.
But Jesus wasn’t about doing what was natural. He was about doing what’s Divine instead of what’s fallen. Things like turning the other cheek, giving away your coat, loving your enemies, and yes, hanging out with ‘birds of a different feather’. In the gospels, we see Him with prostitutes, Gentiles, tax collectors, poor people, rich people, sick people, contagious people, Pharisees and Samaritans. If there was an unlovable person, Jesus was right there at one time or another.
Could that be said of you? Of me?
Confession time. I’m in a ‘holy huddle’. My family, my white well-off Jesus-following ‘sixty-plus’ friends, and my mentees. Don’t mean to be, and mind you, I’m not complaining. I’m just challenging myself (and maybe you) to ask “Where would Jesus have me be?” Based on the example of His life, it’s not likely He’d spend His spare time hangin’ in the ‘burbs drinking lattes with His friends. Something tells me there’d be more to Him than that.
Most of us scratch our Kingdom itch through ‘church work’, but most of that involves convenient volunteering on Sunday morning or serving on a committee. My non-scientific estimate is that a church of 1500 members that commits to a project to help people different from them will get no more than 20 volunteers. And that’s on a clear day without far to travel. Not being critical . . . I’m jus’ sayin’.
So who are some of these ‘people of a different feather’?
Who has a close friend from another race? Who has a real, personal relationship with a Jewish or Muslim person? What about older people other than our relatives? Sent to assisted living, nursing homes and even hospice, often with no one to visit or care. And prisoners? Separated from society, then told by prison ministries they’re not separated from the love of God, then separated from the love of God because no one obeys Jesus and visits them.
“Disappoints me that I only love lovable people. Natural. But when I realize God loves them and me the same, his Charity lights me up. Not loved because they are lovable but because Love is in them from God.”
C.S. Lewis
Connecting with ‘birds of a different feather’ demands intentionality (there’s that word again!). So I’m going to challenge myself and you. Between now and Christmas, I’m going to personally reach across age, cultural, economic, lifestyle and/or racial lines and develop three new friendships.
Will you?
Question: Will you take my challenge? Will you commit? Will you tell the Radical Mentoring tribe what you’re going to do to break out of the ‘Jesus club’ and connect with birds of a different feather? Commit now and tell us here.
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Responses (1)
20 years ago I reached a point of praying for a spiritual mentor after realizing following Christ is not a solo sport. I’m white, college educated, self employed, upper middle class East Cobb, drink a beer with Mexican food, attend a mega church with 7,000 others folks, 99.9% of which look and have backgrounds just like me. I expected a mentor of a similar description. God had something else for me.
Ron Moore is black, has a high School education, went from beer to hard drugs in high school resulting in a 20 year use of heroin. God took the addiction away and made him the greatest lover of others I’ve ever known. He who is forgiven much loveth much comes to mind. Uses his phone to reach out and touch men all the time. Reads the tone of your voice and ask what is really going on when something sounds off. Calls the wife if not satisfied with your answer. Prays to finish every conversation, and has many prayers answered. Lives off true faith gifts of xothers are led to send him as his church pays him less than his house payment. Faith in action because he has no other way.
He is so opposite of what I expected in so many areas, but so much better for me because of it. We have gathered black and white men at his church every first Saturday of the month for 18 years, so black and white men after Gods own heart can get to know one another, and hopefully learn to love one another. Join us, 7:30 am at Welcome All Community Church in College Park Ga, first Saturday of the month. Ask for pastor Ron Moore. It will rock your world.